Malaysia’s World Cup betting crackdown nets major cash seizure

Malaysian police arrested 58 people and seized more than half a million ringgit (US$124,000) in illicit proceeds in a World Cup gambling sweep as authorities in Southeast Asia crack down on illegal football betting during the tournament.
Malaysia, where unlicensed betting is a criminal offence, has been bracing for a rise in illegal sports wagers, with the quadrennial spectacle attracting punters to betting sites and apps.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director M. Kumar said police launched “Op Soga XI” nationwide to combat unlicensed sports betting and online gambling that was “expected to increase” during the Fifa World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Multiple agencies, including the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), are spearheading the operation that runs from June 11 to July 19, covering the full tournament window.
Police had carried out 52 raids so far and arrested 54 men and four women suspected of involvement in illegal betting and online gambling, Kumar said on Thursday.
Officers also targeted 42 websites, apps, social media accounts and other platforms allegedly used for football betting and gambling promotions.
“Action to block websites and take down content will be carried out with the assistance of MCMC,” Kumar said, adding that the suspects would be investigated under Malaysia’s betting and gaming laws, including the Betting Act 1953 and the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953.
Those convicted can face fines ranging from 5,000 ringgit to 200,000 ringgit and jail terms of up to five years, depending on the offence.
Police said investigations would also be conducted under Malaysia’s anti-money-laundering law.
“The police will continue to intensify operations and enforcement action while strengthening strategic cooperation with relevant agencies,” Kumar said, urging the public to provide information to help authorities “combat these activities”.

Major football tournaments often bring a spike in illegal gambling in Southeast Asia, triggering an enforcement blitz by police and regulators.
Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs said it would step up the fight against illegal gambling from June 11 to July 19, saying major sporting events “generate heightened interest in gambling activities, including illegal gambling”.
The ministry said illegal operators “do not provide responsible gambling safeguards” and could expose gamblers and their families to “significant financial and social harm”.
Singapore’s National Council on Problem Gambling has also launched a campaign warning that “every bet costs something”.
In Thailand, police handled 596 cases involving 629 suspects between June 6 and 14 in a nationwide operation targeting football betting and online gambling networks.
Trairong Phiwphan, deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Police, said the raid was aimed at dismantling the financial structure behind illegal gambling networks.
“The World Cup should be a festival of sport, not a festival of gambling,” he was quoted as saying by The Nation Thailand.
Last month, Indonesia also arrested 321 foreign nationals in Jakarta and smashed more than 70 gambling websites in one of the country’s largest raids on illegal digital betting networks, though the crackdown was not related to the World Cup.